Healing the planet with other people's money: St. Paul spends $35,000 per unit for solar car-charging stations that will bring in $1 per hour if anyone uses them

Coleman on Thursday, April 12, unveiled two new electric-car charging stations within Como Regional Park. The stations, at North Lexington Parkway by Lake Como and at McMurray Fields, capture solar power and can charge two vehicles at a time. They're the first city-owned solar-powered charging stations in Minnesota.

"The systems not only perform great, but they look great, as well," Coleman told a crowd of onlookers.

The charging stations will charge $1 per hour, allowing drivers to quickly "top off" the batteries that power a car's electric motor.